UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide.
The Garmin nüvi 855
Comparing the nuvi 855 and 7×5 series
Despite these improvements, the 855 does not include all the features found in the 7×5 series. It is missing the following:
- 3-D buildings
- A2DP Bluetooth
- ecoRoute
- Recent cities and streets folders that speed searches (though these aren’t really necessary if you’re using voice commands)
- Customizable data fields
On the other hand, the 855 has the following features which are not present on the 7×5 series:
- Removable battery
- Dual speakers
- Voice command
- Custom avoidances (avoid specified streets or areas)
- Backup camera input
This is unfortunate – there really isn’t one top of the line Garmin nuvi. If you want the best, you’ll need to choose between a 7×5 series and an 8×5 series unit.
One other note; the nuvi 885T adds Bluetooth and an MSN Direct receiver to the 855’s feature set. Since the models are so similar, much of the information below is taken directly from my hands-on review of the 885T.
To see how the 855 stacks up against other models, check out my Garmin nuvi comparison chart.
Using voice commands with the nuvi 855
The nuvi 8xx series offers the best voice command feature of any GPS unit on the market. I covered this extensively in my Garmin nuvi 880 review and rather than repeat myself, I’ve shot a quick video demonstrating the voice command feature:
I remain impressed with this feature. Popular Places even had ‘”libraries” and “rest areas.” Nevertheless, it is much faster to enter many things by hand, though the voice recognition feature is nice for anything that would involve a lot of keypad entry, like addresses and cities.
Custom avoidances
The nuvi 8xx series allow you to set custom avoidances. Follow the link for a full run down on this feature. You can select streets (or portions thereof) or rectangular areas to avoid. The only other nuvi with this feature to date is the nuvi 5000.
http://gpstracklog.com/gps_tracklog/
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Lane Assist and Junction View
I had previously experienced this feature using the 7×5 series in Atlanta, and I think Garmin has done an excellent job with it. Unfortunately, coverage is woefully lacking, as I did not see any signs of it in Charlotte or Greenville / Spartanburg. I can understand the latter, but c’mon, Charlotte is the 18th largest metro area in the country. Maybe it’s because I stuck to the northeast side of town, but I thought I would at least see it on I-85.
Other features
On top of all this, the nuvi 8×5 series includes:
- Pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada
- Multi-destination routing (and auto-sorting)
- Text-to-speech
- Where Am I? (find closest hospitals, police & gas stations, nearest address & intersection)
- Garmin Locate™ (marks position when removed from windshield mount)
- Photo navigation (navigate to geotagged photos)
- MP3 / audio book player
- FM transmitter
Garmin nuvi 855 recommendation
If you do most of your driving alone, and especially if you succumb to the temptation to use the GPS touch screen while driving, I highly recommend the Garmin nuvi 855. The voice command system makes it one of the safest GPS units to operate, and it is without doubt the best voice command navigator on the market.
However, if you usually have a passenger with you who can operate the device, or have the self-restraint to not operate it while driving, you might choose the nuvi 785T instead.
Finally,a recommendation for Garmin — charge what you will, but please, give us a top of the line unit that combines the features of the nuvi 7×5 and 8×5 series!
More Garmin nuvi 855 reviews
- Consumer-authored Garmin nuvi 855 reviews
have been posted at Amazon
- More consumer-authored Garmin nuvi 855 reviews are being posted at GPS Now (click the Reviews tab)
I’ll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some…
Other Garmin nuvi 855 resources
- A PDF version of the Garmin nuvi 855 owners manual
- Want to see how the 855 stacks up against other models? Check out this Garmin auto GPS comparison tool or my own Garmin nuvi comparison chart
- There is a dedicated Garmin nuvi message forum at GpsPasSion and another nuvi forum at GPS Review
- The official Garmin nuvi 855 web page
- How to access archived nuvi trip logs
- Five tips for nuvi newbies
Compare prices on the Garmin nuvi 855 at these merchants:
- Check the current Garmin nüvi 855
- Get a great price on a Garmin nuvi 855 GPS Navigator & Personal Travel Assistant w/ Speech Recognition
at BuyDig.com
- Find the low price on a Garmin nuvi 855 at GPS Now, where shipping is free on orders over $99 (and the upgrade to overnight shipping is dirt cheap!); order by 5 p.m. Central Time for same day shipment
- Find the Garmin nuvi 855 Portable Automotive GPS System w/ Lane Assist & Voice Recognition
at TigerGPS, where you get free shipping on orders above $250
- Get the Garmin nuvi 855 for an amazing price on eBay
About Rich Owings
Costco has them for a promo price of $299.99 wont last.
Actually costco is selling them at a price of $267 with shipping and handling included. Already bought mine because of the low offer. The deal goes on until I believe July 5th, or whenever they run out of units.
Thanks for the tip!
Available on eBay for under $200 incl. shipping.
Don’t wast you money on purchasing MSN traffic.
I purchased the Nuvi885T for a trip from Orlando Florida to McMinnville Tenn. The directions were great. The approaching a turn warning was extremely helpful, especially going through the east coast’s nightmare city, Atlanta.
The one BIG drawback is MSN traffic. It told me about an accident after I was stuck in non-moving traffic on I75 for a half hour; then it predicted a 20 minute delay. Also, MSN only updates when you have been in a city for at least a half hour. I was constantly seeing yesterday’s gas prices or the gas prices 100 miles ago.
And now it’s going away entirely…
http://gpstracklog.com/2009/10/msn-direct-to-end.html
Amazon.com has the 855 at 199.99 – just purchased one and it arrived in three days. Amazon also offers a further discount if you purchase the carrying case for the 855 and the dashbgoard portable friction mount – all three at less than the three iterms purchased separately.
That’s cool. Thanks for the tip.
I’m trying to decide between the 855 and the 755T. My main needs are to have route mapping (I’ll be having to travel to 5-6 destinations daily in a relatively rural area I don’t know well; these destinations will change every day and I’d like to know the most efficient route). Both nuvis have this feature but I’m admittedly intrigued by the voice recognition capabilities of the 855. I don’t need Bluetooth or traffic alerts. Are there any specific advantages of the 755T vs. the 855? Any guidance would be appreciated…
I’m not a huge fan of voice command. I find it quicker to use the touchscreen, which you can still do on the 855. If it were my choice though, I’d go with the 755.
These seem like they could impact your decision though… If the ads will bother you, go with the 855. Another reason for the 855 is that you can exclude certain streets or areas from routes. Hope that helps!
do tomtoms have a feature similar to “custom avoidances”? I would like to avoid unsafe parts of town
No, they don’t.
Do you have to speak extremely clearly in order for the voice to work? Never used a GPS voice unit but voice technology is often frustrating
I found that it worked well for most commands without me having to be extra careful about how I spoke.
I’m trying to understand the traffic difference between nuvi 265WT and 285WT. 285WT gives you traffic for how long before you need to start paying a fee?
9 months. But the MSN Direct service will cease operations on 1/1/2012 and you will not be able to renew after that date.
do all garmins offer public transit mode? what about tomtoms?
No, TomToms don’t have it. It’s found on the nuvi 1xxx series, but you have to buy CityXplorer maps to enable it. Google Maps Navigation for Android appears to have a public transit option as well.
ah I see, thanks Rich. How much is CityExplorer subscription per year?
They aren’t subscription-based. They run $10 to $15 per city. More info…
http://gpstracklog.com/2009/06/garmin-cityxplorer-review.html
and
http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/us/maps/cityxplorer
I was needing to load a route into the garmin. It says that the 700 and 800 series can receive computer uploads of good maps with route points. Has anyone used this feature? Is it possible to have multiple routes?
I prefer to use Garmin MapSource / City Navigator to do this, but it can also be done with Mapquest online: http://help.mapquest.com/jive/entry.jspa?externalID=562&categoryID=11
So, Mr Owings, you recommend that I use the 700 or 800 series with another type of map service? I have map points loaded in a spreadsheet that google maps plot on a map, I need to be able to use these points for a delivery route. The mapsource/city navigator will accept a spreadsheet?
You can use the spreadsheet to generate custom POIs. This is an old post, but it should help get you started…
http://gpstracklog.com/2006/03/custom_pois.html
In entry #10 you (Rich Owings)mention to go with the 755 vs. the 855. You mention something about ads and that you recommend going with the 755. What ads are you referring to and why specifically do you prefer the 755 vs. the 855?
The lifetime traffic on the 755T is ad supported. They are small and don’t bother nme, but they do annoy some people. Otherwise, I gave the pros and cons of each unit there, in #10.
Any comments on the 855/885 models and the need to remove the battery to completely shut the unit off? I like you like the idea of the voice command, but don’t like the idea of having to remove the battery after using it or face it being dead after 3 or 4 hours. With so many subtle little differences between all of the Garmin models, what really is the best unit overall?
The best unit overall depends entirely upon your needs. The 8×5 series has an instant on feature. If turned off, the battery can drain all the way down, but it should take 4-5 days, not just a few hours. Hope this helps.
What is the difference between nuvi 885T and 885?
Is it worth spending more money on the 885T, what will I get with this model
That makes it more money.
I did notice that you mentioned MSN will be discontinued after a certain date.
I would also like to know how the speakers work.
I really don’t care about looking at the screen; I would rather hear the prompts clearly.
I had a 765T and it worked will, but I was very disappointed in the speakers. It wasn’t load enough and I couldn’t understand what was being said when driving.
Are the duel front speakers on the 885T or the 885 any better then the other models?
I would like some feed back on this.
Thank you
James
There is no standalone 885, only the 885T. I don’t recall the speakers being any louder than on other nuvis.
You say there is no standalone. Can you explain what you mean by that?
i have seen two different types, the 885 and the 885t.
Thank you for the info on the speakers, have you noticed and differences in the clarity From the 765t or the 885.
This is a major concern to me. I’m always on the road; i like to listen to my music. But i have missed a couple of exits because the speakers weren’t load enough to hear.
i don’t play my music that load that it would interfere with the gps.
Can you recommend a good quality gps that has a higher volume control and you can hear clearly.
thank you
James
Amazon lists it as the 885/885T, but it is only one unit. Are you seeing the 885 listed somewhere without traffic/MSN Direct?
I don’t recall any significant differences between the 7×5 and 8×5 series in terms of audio volume or quality.
If you have an auxiliary input or Bluetooth stereo, you could pipe audio to your car speakers. Maybe this will help… http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=13697
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.
YOUR SO RIGHT I WAS SEEING THE 885 AND THE 885T AS TWO DIFFERENT UNITS.
I THINK I’M GOING TO BUY THE 855, I ALREADY HAVE BLUE TOOTH IN MY CAR AND MSN WILL BE DISCONTINUED.
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP.
JAMES
P.S If anyone thinks I shouldn’t buy the 855. Please let me know.
Like I said before I returned the 765t, for two reasons,
1) It wasn’t loud enough to hear when I was driving.
2) It heated up fast. Man did that thing get hot.
You’re welcome!
Hey, I’m not sure you can connect the 885T Bluetooth to your car’s stereo. The 765T’s A2DP Bluetooth should allow it. If you’re interested in that feature, you might want to download the manuals and read those sections.
thanks for the info on the bluetooth.
i’m glad to say i have bluetooth built into my car and the speaker system.
like i said i use my car for work and i’m just trying to find a good GPS.
YOU HAVE BEEN A GREAT HELP.
i’m not going to make a dicesion on whitch on to buy yet.
i’m still toying with the 855 and the 755t.
if you or anyone you know has any more input on either one of these two system i would love to hear them.
thanks once again
James
I just recently purchased a 1690…and discovered there is no “area avoids” feature. Bummer! I know the 855 does area avoids; does it also do a track log? Do you know if there is a “back door” way to do a track log on the 1690?
Yes, the 855 does have a tracklog feature, as does the 1690. But you can’t add the area avoidances feature to the 1690, if that’s what you’re asking.
Hello Rich,
I just bought one of these units and I was wondering if you’d be able to shed a little light on how the external traffic receivers (GTM20 in this case) behave. I didn’t see a traffic specific posting, so I’m posting it here…
I’m seeing new units (claiming lifetime traffic) in the $80+ neighborhood. Used/Refurb items on eBay are maybe in the $30s but most in this range claim no subscription.
A Garmin.com GTM20 FAQ states: “Clear Channel provides a lifetime subscription for $60.00 once the free trial subscription that comes with the GTM 20 has expired. Navteq provides a lifetime sponsor based traffic subscription for devices that come with a Navteq traffic subscription.2 A non-sponsor based lifetime Navteq subscription can also be purchased for $49.99.”
This implies that a receiver without a ‘premium’ subscription may still access the ‘sponsored’ traffic data. To your knowledge, is this the case?
I would be completely happy with ‘sponsored’ traffic from a used receiver…
Thanks for all the GPS help!
Jason
The NAVTEQ lifetime subscription is tied to the traffic cable, not the unit. As long as you have a compatible model (and the 855 is), any working GTM 20 cable should do the job.
Its good to know its tied to the cable. When you say lifetime subscription, is that the ‘premium’ or ‘sponsored (ad-based)’ NAVTEQ traffic? The terminology could make or break my plan 🙂 I think you’re telling me what I want to hear, but I guess I just want a more solid confirmation.
I’m seeing GTM20s on eBay that have no claim of a traffic subscription. I would assume they’d advertise the ad-based traffic support, but its highly possible the seller has no idea of how it actually works (like me!). If *any* GTM20 in a NAVTEQ supported market can at least get ad-based traffic… I could be a little less discriminating in my purchase.
Thanks again! Jason
The GTM 20 lifetime traffic is ad supported. It does appear that you have the option of paying extra to eliminate the ads.
OK. I think a little more careful reading and a response from a similar question to Garmin support is leading me to believe this may not work. The line in the FAQ quote “…for devices that come with a Navteq traffic subscription” means ‘traffic receivers that come with xxxT model devices’. The Garmin rep also mentioned that they only sell GTM20s with lifetime subs. Other vendors may sell receivers w/o sub. So… the traffic receiver from a xxxT device or a ‘new’ GTM20 (including lifetime traffic) are eligible for the sponsored NAVTEQ traffic. Other receivers aren’t blessed and need an independent $50-60 sub (which wouldn’t be ad-based). Let me know if this sounds correct.
As a side technical question, since the subscription travels with the ‘antenna’, do the ‘blessed’ traffic cables have a serial number that is keyed to be recognized by GPS devices as ‘ad-based NAVTEQ eligible’? I can’t imagine they have some small memory inside the antenna to store the activated state. How would a purchased lifetime sub travel with the cable if that was the case? The engineer side of me likes to know how this stuff works 🙂
Thanks!!!
Yeah, I just don’t see how that would work. It might be worth another call, as you may get a different answer from a different tech. Apparently there are NAVTEQ lifetime GTM-20s and Clear Channel GTM-20s too! I saw that this morning at http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=12438. Maybe that is what the tech meant. I still think you’ll be okay if you buy the NAVTEQ lifetime GTM-20, even used.
Thanks for all the help!
I have what’s supposedly a ‘new’ (picture shows old design) unit on the way. No claim of active or inactive subscription… so we’ll see if the gamble pays off 🙂
So I know what to look for, do the new lifetime receivers (included with xxxT or standalone GTM20s) include the unlock key on a piece of paper to enter into the GPS? The key is tied to the receiver ID, so this should be possible, right?
I’ll keep you updated. Thanks again!
Nope, the lifetime receivers should work just by plugging them in. It may tale awhile to get reception, so don’t panic if it doesn’t happen right away. Yes, please do report back and let us know how it goes.
I received the item from the eBay seller. I don’t think the ‘new’ claim was 100% true. When I connected the receiver, the ‘System/Traffic’ icon is reporting that the ‘Total Traffic Network’ subscription is expired. I’m assuming the trial period had run out.
No free ad-based Navteq subscription was available for this older unit. A (non-ad based) lifetime Navteq sub did end up working, so I’m getting the traffic data. Not ideal for my cheap approach… but its working now.
That sucks. Well, thanks for letting us know how it turned out. I’ve made a note of this conversation so I can refer others back to it. Hopefully it will benefit someone else further down the road. Garmin certainly makes this all far from clear.
Oh my goodness, yes, this was VERY helpful! My 660 touch screen just died and I was looking to upgrade. Right now I’m leaning toward an 855. It has a lot of options my 660 did not. I like the idea of the replaceable battery (my 660’s battery died a year ago) and I want one with an mp3 player(such a pity none of the current units have one). I was hoping that I could use the GTM 20 traffic receiver from my 660 on the 885 and thanks to this conversation, it looks like I can!
Now, a question I have about the 855 is a comment you made in your review about not having “Recent cities and streets folders that speed searches”. Are you referring to the “Recently Found” icon that lists what you recently searched for or navigated to? Or is it something else? I find that option very useful on my 660.
Thanks!
Suzanne
No, it’s a little folder icon that looks like this…
http://gpstracklog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/nuvi1200recentcities.jpg
The Recently Found icon is still there on the 8xx series. The feature I was talking about could have been added in a firmware update, but I don’t know.
Ah okay. I guess I wouldn’t miss it because the 660 never had it! 🙂
Just a thought… the 855 is a discontinued model, but you would still have full warranty if purchased new from an authorized dealer. But it’s a bit odd because you cannot turn it completely off, it just goes into sleep mode. This results in battery drain if you leave it sitting for awhile without charging or using in the auto cradle.
Another issue is that you cannot perform a reset on this model unless you physically remove the battery, forcing a full shutdown. Resets are sometimes needed to clear glitches from memory.
There are many good things about this older model, but the issues I’ve mentioned have been a source of frustration for many users and frequently discussed on different forums, so just be aware.
Please tell me more about that backup camera input for the 855.
Garmin’s implementation of the 8xx series backup camera appears to have been problematic. I’d investigate the costs and installation issues thoroughly before deciding to go that route. It requires the purchase of the VIB 11.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=164&pID=9653do this.
The nuvi 5000 may be a better choice. From garmin.com support:
Question: Can I use a backup camera with my nuvi?
Answer:
It is possible to use a backup camera with the nuvi 5000 and the nuvi 8xx series. The nuvi 5000 can be used with a backup camera by purchasing the following A/V Cables.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=1375
I’m looking at the 855 and like it so far. With the voice recognition on, will it activate with regular conversation in the car or while I’m listening to a book thru my iPod? Or is that remote I saw on the steering wheel to turn the voice recognition on? Thanks!
Yes, that is what the steering wheel remote does. Alternatively (but more expensive), you could look at the new 3690T, which uses a customizable wakeup phrase to allow voice commands.
I am thinking of the nuvi 855, but am a worried about it being discontinued. Is that a problem? I like its features and its price.
Not really. Garmin continues to support discontinued units with firmware updates as needed.
The 855 works great, I have only found two small problems with it. One, speakers aren’t loud enough and the second is the battery doesn’t last very long. If you don’t have it plugged into the car the battery will not last.
All in all I find that the 855 with the remote works great. When you speak into the unit please
Don’t have any back ground music on (or should I say don’t have it on to loud) and don’t try to command it as your driving.
It picks back ground noise and wind, so it may not hear your command.
So make sure you have the windows closed before you give it your command as your driving.
I had one of the 7×5 models and returned it, although it had all the bells and whistles.
I found I didn’t need all that stuff, and found it too much work for me to stop every time I’m driving to
type in the info to my next location.
This is a pretty good unit. I’ve tested the voice recognition with the radio on, barely in the background, and the windows down to produce road noise/wind at ca. 35 MPH, and the unit understood commands fine. I position it just under my sun visor, on the windshield.
Is there a way to download voices other than the few that Garmin offers? I have the 855 and would like to have John Cleese who I think Tom-Tom offers but I can’t find it for this one. Any suggestions? Or other celebrities?
A website called pigTones has voices, http://www.pigtones.com/ and there are a very few over at NavTones also, http://www.navtones.com/
I’m having trouble deciding which GPS to buy, GARMIN Nuvi 1300 4.3″, the 855 4.3″ , or 265T 3.5″…. I like the 1300 because in my mind a newer model = better. But, the 855 has voice reconition and lane assist (but it was discontined, its that bad? walmart still sells it) and the 265t looks good too but its small.
I care most about satelitte stuff, which one reroutes faster. I also want one that I can touch the screen and drag the map around so I can see the streets around me. I HAVE NO IDEA, they all look good but I’m a spaz and would love advice before I go out and spend a bunch of money on one. help please 🙂
Also, is the 1300 a newer version of the 855? It seems to lack quite a bit of the bells and whistles the 855 has… Walmart.com sells all of them for about the same price. To reiterate on my last post, my main goal is the get the best quality GPS (the 1300,855,or 765) along with high tech goodies. Last, are all 3 compatable with loading mapquest maps onto them? Thats important to me. Thanks again 🙂
They are all good models. The 855 is discontinued, but Garmin will continue to support it for years. Of the models you mentioned, the 265T and 1300 are more basic, the 765T and 855 have more bells and whistles. You cannot load MapQuest maps to any of them, but you can send a location you found on MapQuest to them. Hope this helps. Feel free to follow up with more questions.
Thanks! I still haven’t decided yet, I’m also looking at the 295w. I can’t decide because I’m not sure which one I will get the most out of. Are traffic and lane assist helpful? In regards to the 295, it looks high tech, but small. Again, I mostly care about a GPS that can get me where im going accuratly with fast satillite reception. Which one would ya’ll get, 855, 765t, 295, or 1300? lol.
Just got my new 855 from a daily Amazon special. The delivered price was $99.00.
I have some experience using a 755T. It was a real toss up as to which unit to purchase. I could have had a re-furb 755T for $138. delivered from Beach Audio. To make mine a “T” I will have to purchase the GTM-20 cable for around $70 on the internet. The 755T did re-route me around a accident caused tie up while on vacation, and the re-route instructions were good. It was a shock when the unit had us exiting the Interstate as I missed the vocal about the tie up ahead.
I don’t like the idea of pulling the battery to turn the unit off. The is easy enough to remove though. I also plan on storing the 855 near my computer and will connect it to the USB for a trickle charge.
Anyway, I went with price and so far the differences between the 2 units mentioned are correct. I agree the functions of the two units be combined. But it seems Garmin wants a thinner unit and dropped some old features.
Thanks, I’m considering the 855. But I don’t like the fact that it was discontinued, does that mean it had some seriouse issues?
Hannah, I got the 855 and went through the long downloads to update the software and the one free map. The map update was so long I went to bed and left the pc run. That is NOT an issue. My friend with the 755T bought the lifetime map updates and lets it run at night. The updates are very long. DO NOT attempt on a dial up. For $10.00 they offered to send a map disc.
Anyway, the 855 acts very similar to the still active 755T. Me and my friend are both impressed with how good the voice commands work.(He’s jealous there.)
I think the two speaker system of the 855 is a bit better than the 755T.
I also found out my IPOD AC USB charger will charge the GPS and go online to the satellites at the same time. This is a little weird but nice, as when the 855 is connected to the pc, it will not operate.
I would not buy a small screen unit from my experiences. Another friend has a small screen unit and I did not like as I was used to the 755T at the time.
Discontinued is not a big deal. I think Garmin just pulled the slower selling units. The bells and whistles of both these units are not required to navigate the roads. They are in both: FM transmitter to use the car radio. Sorry, I listen to the radio. Music Player not needed if you have an IPOD. I do not use use talking books but if you do, they have that capability. If you have a bunch of pictures you want to take with you, they both have card slots but different SD sizes.
Wow, it sounds pretty darn good. I ended up getting the 265t, but I have no qualms in returing it if I dont like it for this one:) Thanks for the reply Bob!
I think the 265wt is a better choice than the 265t because of the bigger screen. I told my sister to buy the wt as the price was good.
Now that the higher end units are being dumped that is no longer true. My $99.00 price was too good to pass up.
Also, the Garmin site has a good compare option, but my 855 is not included because of the discontinued status, but the 755t is.
I bought the 855w in the recommendation of this site. I love it. I got it at a good price but not the lowest amazon price. It is easy to follow adjusts quickly. No problems so far
hmm, I got my 265t for $120 at walmart. where did you get yours?
Nice to see folks helping each out. I was on the road yesterday, so didn’t get to chime in. I agree, the 265T is a good unit, but the wide screen 265WT is nicer.
In a couple weeks I have found out a few things about the 855 worth sharing.
I purchased an extra battery on ebay for $15. delivered. It ran my unit for just under 3 hours turned on and operating. I thought it was bad. Turns out the factory battery runs the 855 about the same amount of time.
I downloaded the Garmin Voice Studio Program(http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/us/ontheroad/voicestudio#fragment-1). A microphone is required. I could not find my old one. By accident I found out my web cam mic is on all the time. It worked perfectly and the directions coming from the speakers are much louder than the “Jack and Jill” that come with the unit. Clips can be imported from other sources but if they don’t match the Garmin requirements, the voices will freeze up. I learned that the hard way.
I tried changing the volume by speech commands just as it was trying to speak and it also locked up the voices. That was fixed by turning it off and on.
The music player will sometimes fast forward to the next song and sometimes only fast forwards the present song. No rhyme or reason yet.
It jumped into the “safe mode” somehow, but then asked if I wanted it there. I think I was in the middle of making changes and confused it. I was not in the tool, security mode where the change is normally.
Touching the bar graph for the signal strength will show a diagnostic listing the available satellites, their strength, current speed, elevation, current location and accuracy. A Garmin tech said the info was for them and not me. 🙂
Lastly, I printed the specs from the 755T and the 855. The one difference there worth noting was the 855 has a W.A.A.S. enabled receiver which is much more accurate than non W.A.A.S. units, which 755T seems to be. Interesting reading here: http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/waas.html
Thanks Bob. You may be aware of the rest of these, but just in case…
http://gpstracklog.com/2010/08/five-tips-for-nuvi-newbies.html
My loss of voice prompts continue. I thought is was due to the latest software update to 4.70, so I downgraded to 4.60 and still had the problem.
After hours of experimenting I have determined the Voice Studio v 2.10 is causing my loss of audio.
It’s a combination of using my voice, Music Player, and voice commands at the same time. My voice disappears, and the music goes very low. The map works OK.
I have to change to a factory voice, then power down and pull the battery to get the audio back.
I am currently waiting on a Garmin reply. For me Voice Studio is gone.
Nice working tracking down the problem. Sounds like a software bug that they can fix.
Just bought a used Garmin nuvi 855, but it didn’t have the remote for the voice command. Can the votive command be activated by the screen or do I need the remote? Thanks in advance for your help.
Randy
Not that I know of. This is what you need. I’d check eBay…
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=13542
I ahve a Garmin nuivi855 but the screen is fading and I can hardly see the information displayed. Do you have any idea about this problem?
Does it happen when it is connected to the car charger? To your computer? If so, the only suggestion I can make is to try a hard reset and update the firmware. To do a hard reset, back up your data and then do the following:
1. Remove battery from nüvi
2. Place battery back into nüvi
3. Touch-and-hold the bottom right corner of the touch screen when a progress bar appears
4. Release the screen when “Do you really want to erase all user data?” appears
5. Touch “Yes”